The Canadian band Great Lake Swimmers, founded by singer and songwriter Tony Dekker, has been crafting wistful, carefully composed indie folk for over twenty years, focusing on nature, memory, and personal reflection. Great Lake Swimmers began as a lo-fi project, grew into a fixture in Canadian folk-pop, and was forced to start over during the pandemic. Their new album, Caught Light, is therefore a record about letting go, but also about starting over, with renewed clarity and immediacy.

For this ninth album, Dekker retreated to the Ganaraska Forest. Dekker often chooses to record in unique locations in Canadian nature, creating a direct connection to landscape and history. Caught Light was created in just three days. This speed creates a spontaneous and direct sound, without sacrificing layering or detail. Dekker calls the album “an ode to familiarity, repetition, and the importance of community.” The music sounds like a summer drive along country roads from your childhood, with the windows down and the sun low on the horizon.